While Artorias continued to have his diplomatic discussions with Víðarr and Tenshi, he turned his daughters loose to (respectfully) explore around the snowy mountain and entertain themselves. Ember couldn't have been more relieved to be dismissed from the boring sitting around and talking, so as soon as she was set free, the little dark-furred girl sprung to her paws and tossed her cloak back around her neck before heading for the mouth of the cave. She wanted to go see all the snow again, since the only snow she had ever seen down in Auster had been little more than the occasional flurries right when her litter had been born.

Trotting out into the cold Boreal winter, Ember's long legs and tiny paws immediately sank down through the frigid powdery snow like it wasn't even there. She gasped in surprise, that shock soon turning to wonder and amazement. It was so deep and so much different from the flurries back home! With an excited grin on her face, Ember bounced forward into the snow, crunching a path through it with enthusiastic leaps. It was reeeeeally cold, but it was also so much fun to see somewhere so radically different from her family's castle and fields. After a few minutes of playing out in the snow, Ember glanced back to the cave, noticing that neither Dusk nor Clove had followed her outside. Oh well. She never minded a solo adventure. Making sure not to stray too far from the cave entrance, Ember walked through the snow to the nearest ledge, peering off at the surrounding world. They weren't even that high in the mountains yet, but already the view reminded her of the windows in her parents' bedroom. She could see for miles!

"Ember"

Why hadn't anyone else come down? Usually Erik could count on at least Delphi making an appearance where she smelled trouble, but she must be off getting into it elsewhere. Morg was supposed to be around here somewhere, but with how snowy it had been lately, the raw weather was less than comfortable on her shrooms. Whatever Maki was off dreaming up-- ugh, it had left him walking into the group alone.

Finally slipping out of the cave, away from the slow train wreck of an afternoon, Erik was quick to realize he wasn't the only one with that idea. Which one was that? He was shit with names, actually, it was one of the two younger ones. She'd gone to peer out over one of the close ledges, but... nah, fuck, he couldn't just let her get maybe one of the lamest views the Maw had to offer. If they were going to come all the way out here, then the least he could do was make sure it was worth her while. Totally that, not the fact that maybe he'd get to not have to be in a room full of strangers alone, and also not be alone.

"Ember," he's pretty sure he's got her name right, otherwise he'd really stepped in it. Still, as soon as he speaks, it becomes apparent why he hadn't until this point. Erik's voice is gravelly, frayed around the edges. It rasps and rumbles in ways that are wildly out of place for a boy of his age especially. He'd push down any self conscious feelings and incline his head in the direction he headed off towards, inviting her to follow. His path was one that seemed to lead down and then up again, around a bend and off north.

"Speech"

The call of her name pulled Ember's attention away from the skyline of the Boreal forests that surrounded the base of the mountain. The girl's head spun around, glancing over her shoulder with only a slight tilt to her body, not quite making the full turnaround yet. Behind her stood the viking boy from the meeting. Though he was young, looking to be about as old as she was, his voice was not what Ember would have expected to come from a boy their age. His voice was rough, coarse like it hadn't been used much. But it wasn't scary or off-putting—just different. Ember didn't mind different. She was pretty different from the rest of her siblings after all. If anything, it just made her more curious about what made him different too.

Bright eyes of mixing sapphire blue and turquoise peered back at the wolf who wore a coat of deep purple that reminded her of the wines her parents drank. A little smile of flashed teeth to her host appeared on her muzzle. "Hi Erik!" she greeted the viking lad in turn. Ember, thankfully, was pretty good with names, and even though his father had only said it in passing, she had done her best to try and remember it. She said nothing about his voice. Maybe he was just under the weather. It would explain why he had been so quiet up until now. Erik nodded his head down a path, making it clear he wanted her to follow. Eyes wide and ears perked with interest, Ember was quick to spring to her paws and chase after him, moving less evenly through the dense snow than he did, a combination of his taller stature and her unfamiliarity with the snowy terrain making her look more like a deer learning to walk for the first time than the poised princess her mother tried her best to make her.

Once she had arrived at his side, Ember turned another sweet smile up at the taller boy, now able to really see the blending gradients of sunset oranges that mixed with the dusky purples in his fur. Erik clearly knew these mountain paths far better than she did, so she relied on him to lead the way. A cold breeze cut across the mountainside, making the girl brace against its bite, but she wouldn't be discouraged by a little chill on the air. Carpathians were made of tougher stuff and she was no shrinking violet. Glancing up at Erik again, Ember asked, "Where are we going?" He wanted to show her something, that much was obvious. Her curious nature demanded her to find out what.

"Ember Carpathius"

She chirps his name, and Erik... he's not used to hearing it in an accent that's not among his own. It allows the shadow of a smile to play at the corner of his lips, and behind his eyes too. The boy relaxes, to a degree. It's different... Ember is. She's not family, and this is probably the first time he's been truly alone with a not-family girl. A pretty girl, too, if he had to remind himself. He reminds himself to smile at her... intentionally. Looking confident was easy, friendly? That's a bit harder.

Leading the way through the snow, Erik makes a point to leave large enough tracks for Ember to step in. They would be a bit more packed, and as long as he shortened his stride, she shouldn't have to hop too much to close the gaps. Right, she had every right to ask about where they were going. It wasn't a long walk, though it was a little hilly at the end. They were coming to the close of it now, a few large boulders to scramble and then they were home free.

"Better view." Erik's words were ragged and frayed at the edges, the crystal damage more than clear. As they approached the scramble, Erik anchored himself against the bottom boulder, leaning in hard. He offered his other shoulder to boost Ember, orange gaze glimmering ever so slightly.

"Speech"

She joined him at his side, and Ember saw Erik's expression shift ever so slightly. Masked behind an austere facade, but she could see his eyes light up, saw the smile he gave her, walking with pride like he owned the very mountain they stood upon. Which she supposed was true. Did she not also have the same hubris when she trotted the halls of Hearthstone? This was his home; here he was a prince. Following in his pawsteps was a much welcomed assistance, though Ember would be loathe to admit to it. She didn't like to appear helpless or like she was facing some sort of challenge simply by walking, but gods be good, there was so much snow and she still had a ways to grow before she'd be able to trounce through it with ease like her father did! So she used Erik's bigger strides as a path as he tamped down the snow to make her own path easier. Hey, if he was offering the help, why not take it?

Up and down the mountainous paths the two young wolves walked, and when she asked about their destination, the viking boy simply responded with a better view. Again, his rough, husky voice caught Ember's interest. He had such a different way about him, an unusual uniqueness that made her curiosity spike. She'd never met another wolf like him, especially not one within her own family or pack. Ember's eyes moved from his face down to the spikes of crystal shards protruding from around his collarbone. Were they why his voice sounded so ragged and rough? Were they hurting him? They matched the fiery color of his fur, and were it not for the thought that they might be causing him pain, they would have looked stunning when they caught an errant ray of sunlight. Ember had always been fascinated by her mother's jewelry and gemstones. They were beautiful and wondrous things. How curious that Erik could wear crystals all the time... With this newfound dawning realization that he wasn't speaking much for a reason, Ember chose to not force him to keep speaking for now. She didn't understand the nature of Erik's affliction, having never learned of the Long Night or its withstanding consequences, but she could recognize that talking wasn't exactly something he enjoyed doing. That was fine, she could talk for the both of them if need be.

Reaching a sharp incline up the path, Ember stared up at the boulders that blocked the way. She turned to Erik, mouth opening to ask how he planned on getting past—and was silenced when she saw him already leaning up the boulders, offering her a boost up. Ember's water-hued eyes glimmered with a playful mischief. "Why thank you, Prince Erik. You're such a gentleman," she teased him with a flash of a grin, wasting no time sauntering up to take his aid once again and clambered up the boulder beside him, using the larger brute's offered shoulder as a foothold to push herself up the largest of the boulders with the grace of a feline springing up to a higher tree limb. Once she was up, she grinned down at Erik with a bit of humor in her expression. "Need a paw up or are you gonna show off your moves, mountain boy?" Despite being notably smaller, Ember was still a headstrong little thing and turned to offer a paw to Erik, even though he likely didn't need any help to climb up on his own. Hey, Ember Carpathius was no damsel in distress, and she wasn't afraid to show it!



"Ember Carpathius"

He needs the confidence. It's bright enough to hide all the things that were all-too-obvious. It would conceal his bitterness about the curse, it would hide away the little shadows-- the worst bits he'd inherited. Right, enough confidence would mask the fact that he wouldn't know what to do with the words if he had them. The veneer keeps him safe. That, the viking reputation, the double banners that flew at his back... and he could rely on himself. He could trust himself. Erik perhaps knows that best of all. That's where the confidence comes from.

As they walk, he can feel her gaze. It's not subtle, but then, he doesn't expect it to be. Ember's expression isn't unlike that of the too-many-too-count healers that have examined him. Hell, he's some kind of science experiment gone wrong, after all. Erik knows that much. Maybe it's kinda cool too. What young boy doesn't enjoy grossing out his siblings? Still, it weighs on his back that he worries his mother. She was doing her best for them, after all. But yeah, he can't fault Ember's lingering eyes either. Where they rest on the crystals, the rawness of flesh around them, and the fry in his voice. All things closely related, unfortunately for him.

For a heartbeat, Erik stiffened at the title-- Prince. Most vikings are bastards in one way or another, and hell dad hadn't even had the pack when he'd been born. Can he ever view himself that way? The mirth and mischief aren't lost on him, and as quickly as the strange feeling had surfaced, it dissipated into the brassy chuckle that filled the space between them. She took his shoulder, having the good graces to avoid his head-- already a step above Delphi (and the rest of his siblings.) Light on her feet, it's his turn to let himself linger as she continues on her way up. Lighter, more graceful than he could dream of. Right, for someone who's just learned that girls are pretty, this trip to see his father had been quite the experience.

She peered down, and he offered a small, confident smile. It colors the corners of his lips, brings a bit of a glimmer to his eye. As she reached down to offer him a hand, Erik reached up in return to still it. Gentle but firm, he's appreciative but it's not necessary. He takes a few steps back before launching at the next boulder in the scramble. Pushing himself up with his muscles, trying not to grumble at the effort. It wasn't easy, but he was used to it. Like most things in his existence, it felt like. Not easy, but Erik had adjusted. His shoulders in particular, but at this point he's showing off. Had to, if she was going to challenge him like this. A little twitch to his tail, a little tug at the corners of his lips. Orange gaze lingering on her for a moment, looking to see if she really had been impressed.

Erik tipped his muzzle toward the ledge before moving to step out onto it himself. It's broad, broad enough to be safe. He was pretty sure dad and Tenshi liked to sit out here sometimes, and he could see why. It was comfortable, and faced the north west. A dramatic view of the Maw, and even some of the things far between. "See?" His eyebrows lift, cheeky. He'd promised Ember a better view, and it was safe to say he'd delivered. "Rest'a th'Maw, an' then th'Battlefield." The boy points to each, the same way his father had done when giving him his bearings on the land. He's pretty sure they could kinda see the outline of the Col too, but he didn't want to give her wrong information. Instead Erik just lets his gaze flicker back to Ember, curious what she'd make of it.

"Speech"

As she had expected, when she offered her paw to Erik he gently turned her down, his own larger paw ushering her daintier one back to her. Ember gave Erik a little smirk and a knowing look—a subtle challenge: impress me then. The midnight-furred girl stepped back a couple paces to give him some room to clamber up to join her, then she watched him with curiosity. He smiled, confident and charming, and then he launched himself like a rocket up the boulder. With a scrabble of claws and a ripple of muscles in his larger body, Erik joined her at the top of the ledge. Ember wasn't unfamiliar with boys—she did have six brothers after all—but none of her littermate brothers were as athletic as Erik was.  He was unlike any of the other boys in the Hallows. He was rugged, wild, untamed like a mustang. Not a wild animal, but containing the spirit and essence of one. Fascinating and intriguing to the young girl.

Erik shot her a smug look and Ember returned it with a lopsided grin of her own, blue eyes shining with a playfulness as she met his gaze and flashed her teeth up at him as she fell back in line with him, her own tail giving a delighted wag behind her. "All right, hot shot, I'm mildly impressed," she admitted, still teasing him all the while. She was no shrimp or weakling by any means, but Ember did always marvel at the raw strength other wolves larger than her possessed. He gestured to the ledge and she followed at his side over to the edge. The sights that lay sprawled out before her curious gaze left the Carpathian girl in awe. Her mouth hung open in a gasp as she drank in the view. From west to east, a vast chunk of northern Boreas was laid out before her. The north side of the mountains that made up the Maw, and beyond to the open expanse of the Battlefield, as well as the hazy peaks of the Col far off beyond that. To the east, the misty waters of the Polar Sound, and in between the massive treetops of the northern coniferous forests. Subconsciously the girl's tail began to wag enthusiastically behind her on the rocky ground, showcasing her delight at the sights. Erik had promised her a better view, and he had certainly delivered!

In his rough-hewn voice, Erik pointed out the places she had never been before. The north side of the Maw, and the distant Battlefield. Ember had heard bloody tales from her sire about the Battlefield. Gazing at it from afar, it seemed so innocuous; just a large field in the middle of nowhere. It was hard for her to imagine that was where so many wolves had fought and bled and died. She follows his paw with her eyes as he points out the landmarks, her open mouth slowly changing from a small O shape of wonder to a delighted grin. He was so knowledgeable about the lands around his home. Maybe his dad let him venture out of the pack. Ember couldn't wait for her father to give her that same freedom. "It's kind of amazing how big everything is, don'tcha think? It just seems to go on forever," she mused out loud, simply content to look around at the world as the afternoon sun seemed to make the snow-covered lands sparkle.

Ember glances to her side, then up to Erik, catching his orange eyes looking down at her. Aquatic blues meet fiery oranges as she smiles up at him. "I gotta admit, you promised me a better view, and you were right. Thank you for showing me this, Erik. If you ever come down to Auster, I'll have to show you the view from the tower." It wasn't quite as tall as the mountains were, but no other point in Auster was higher than Hearthstone's tower, save for the old volcano. Technically she wasn't allowed up in the tower until she was older, but they didn't have to announce what they were doing to her parents or anything. Besides, she had to return the favor to Erik for showing her this special secret place! "My mom's family lives up over there somewhere, waaaaay up in the north," she began to tell him while they sat together, leaning gently over into his side as she pointed over in the direction of the Col. "They also live in the mountains, but they're not as big as your mountain is." Or at least, she didn't think so. She had never visited her family in the Armada, but her father had told them that the Maw was the tallest mountain in Boreas, so that had to mean the Col was smaller. The vikings could be proud of their home, as they should be.

"Ember Carpathius"